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GLAAD said the number of transgender characters had doubled
to 16 this year. There was also a record high percentage of
black characters on broadcast television, thanks mostly to shows
like hip hop family drama "Empire," action-packed drama "Luke
Cage," comedy "black-ish," and crime series "How To Get Away
With Murder."
The "Where We Are on TV" report looked at diversity on
broadcast, cable and streaming services for the 2016-17
television season.
It found a total of 278 LGBTQ regular and recurring characters
across all platforms, the highest since GLAAD started tracking
such numbers 20 years ago.
"While it is heartening to see progress being made in LGBTQ
representation on television, it’s important to remember that
numbers are only part of the story, and we must continue the
push for more diverse and intricate portrayals of the LGBTQ
community," GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis said in a
statement.
GLAAD said some TV characters and storylines still portrayed the
LGBT community in a negative or stereotypical way, but noted
that television was far ahead of movies in terms of
representation.
One area of disappointment for GLAAD was the high number of
lesbian characters being killed off. The report said more than
25 lesbian and bisexual female-identifying characters have died
on scripted TV and streaming series since the beginning of 2016
- most of them violently - a move it said "sends a dangerous
message to audiences that LGBTQ people are secondary and
disposable."
GLAAD said it was looking forward to upcoming shows "Doubt,"
starring transgender actress Laverne Cox as a lawyer, and LGBTQ
inclusive series like "American Housewife," "Designated
Survivor," "Conviction, and the miniseries "When We Rise" which
will chronicle the history of the gay and lesbian movement.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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